The Athletic: This Was a Match Tottenham Should Have Won, and That Alone Is Progress

According to The Athletic, Tottenham drew 0-0 away at Nottingham Forest, earning their first league point and first clean sheet of the season. From the statistics and the overall impression of the match, this was a game Tottenham should have won, and that itself is a sign of progress.

In the 18th minute, Omar Marmoush raced toward the goal guarded by Matz Sels, and it seemed Tottenham were only seconds away from showing the football Roberto De Zerbi had promised to bring to the club.

Tottenham's move was quick in progression and high in quality, with clear characteristics of “De Zerbi-style football.” After an excellent combination, Pedro Porro appeared in the right half-space. After Conor Gallagher left his position proactively, Porro occupied that area and cleverly chipped the ball over the Nottingham Forest defence into Marmoush's running path. Everything suggested Marmoush was about to break the deadlock.

But his shot missed the post by only a few inches, and Tottenham missed their best chance of the game while losing much of the momentum they had built early at the City Ground. Tottenham's start was bright, but they consistently lacked penetration.

The 0-0 result gave Tottenham their first league point of the season and their first clean sheet after three matches. However, it also meant Tottenham had failed to score in the opening three league games for the first time since 1974. The unwanted record appeared to conflict with the image of the Italian coach, who is known for building fluid attacking football.

At least, De Zerbi and Tottenham left the City Ground with something to take away. Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou had failed to achieve that in their previous two visits to Nottingham. However, Tottenham's refreshed attacking line, despite offering promise at times, ultimately failed to take their chances.

Marmoush's chance was the best of them, but it was not the only one. In the second half, the Egypt international again found himself with space behind Forest's defence and had the opportunity to pass to Andy Robertson, who had overlapped and was shouting for his teammate's attention. If Marmoush had passed to his new teammate, the Scotland captain might have continued to create chances for Mohammed Kudus. Instead, Marmoush cut inside from the edge of the box and fired the ball well over the bar.

De Zerbi said at his post-match press conference: “If we make the right decision and pass the ball to Robertson, then there is Kudus at the back post and he can score like this.” His comments suggested that even if the 26-year-old Marmoush had both hands tied behind his back, he would still have a chance to score.

Micky van de Ven and Solanke also had good-quality scoring opportunities. Van de Ven's chance came from a corner. Tottenham won 10 corners in total, but this was their only attempt to create danger from a set piece earned through their territorial advantage and possession.

Considering Tottenham were among the league's best set-piece teams last season, their current lack of physicality and efficiency in attacking set pieces represents a clear decline. De Zerbi is still rebuilding Tottenham according to his own ideas, and at the City Ground they were closer to his tactical principles than ever before. As the team continues its transformation, the intense attacking style that helped them stay in the Premier League last season will naturally decrease.

Kevin Danso and Cristian Romero, who finished last season as Tottenham's first-choice centre-backs, have now been replaced by Van de Ven and another player. Van de Ven is technically strong, but he is less dominant physically than the players who departed. De Zerbi said Sandro Tonali produced “the best game he has played so far” against Forest, replacing Palhinha in midfield. Tonali offers a more complete midfield skill set than the Portugal international, but Palhinha scored five league goals last season.

In fact, Tottenham have now lost the three players who ranked among their top league scorers last season: Romero with four goals, Palhinha with five, and Richarlison with 11. After Richarlison informed the club of his desire to leave, he was not included in Tottenham's Premier League squad list. Today, Tottenham did not even register a shot on target.

When asked whether Tottenham's lack of shots on target worried him, De Zerbi replied: “No, we could have scored three or four goals today. Because if you make the wrong decision, you cannot score. But for me, it is still a scoring opportunity.”

De Zerbi discussed the possibility of Marmoush scoring 12 to 15 goals for Tottenham this season and said: “He also thinks he can, because he has all the qualities.” But as Tottenham work through their transformation, failing to rely on set-piece coach Andreas Georgson's creativity from corners would weaken one of their important scoring routes from last season, which was also one of the main reasons they were able to remain in the Premier League.

Although outside expectations for Tottenham this season have already fallen slightly compared with before their opening match, De Zerbi's effort to build a Premier League team that is both entertaining and effective is still at an early stage. Tottenham kept a clean sheet, and after conceding five goals in their first two matches, this is a result worth building on. Their midfield performance was generally solid, although it lacked some imagination.

Savio produced a promising debut but could not provide the final moment of inspiration. Meanwhile, De Zerbi now also has options to rotate with Mathys Tel. He previously said Mathys Tel had “made too many wrong decisions.”

Therefore, Tottenham have not yet reached the creativity and finishing ability they are aiming for. Although there is not enough evidence at present, nobody can prove that De Zerbi will definitely find the right solution to unlock Tottenham's potential.

However, judging from the statistics and the overall impression of the match, this was a game Tottenham should have won, and that itself is a sign of progress.